Chapter 13 Liza #2
“Are you blushing?” Mason pointed at my face with one hand and nudged Michael with the other. “You must really like Ty.”
“Well, yes, I do like him. That’s not the question.” I like him too much to risk our relationship moving too quickly. “I promise I’ll let you know when the time feels right for you all to meet him.”
“We need to have a little chat with Ty.” Mason postured, puffing his chest out and turning to Michael for backup.
“Yeah, we need to make sure his intentions are on the up and up.” He sat up as tall as possible, his voice lowering an octave. “He’ll have to go through us before he can marry you.” They posed like bodybuilders, switching poses, energy bouncing off energy. It was so very much their way.
I groaned. “Both of you need to bug off.”
“Listen, you could be forty and we’re still going to interrogate your boyfriends.” Mason smiled and slumped back down in his seat.
“Agreed.” Michael crossed his arms. “You’ll always be our little sister.”
I shook my head, but a content warmth spread through my chest. They loved me so much.
After we’d helped Mom clear the table, Michael suggested we shift together. “Come on, Liza. It’ll be fun. When was the last time we went for a run together?”
“It’s been at least a year,” Mason pointed out.
I tilted my head and tapped my chin with my finger as if thinking it over. Truth was, I didn’t need to think about it. “All right, you’ve convinced me.” I followed them into the woods where we quickly shifted and bolted through the dense trees.
I stayed back a bit as Mason and Michael eyed one another, deciding to take off in a race.
They were the most competitive boys in all the land, at least out of the men I knew.
We’d played this game hundreds of times as kids.
They would split up and run off to some remote location, leaving me to hunt them down.
My instincts kicked in as I sniffed the ground, following their scent deeper and deeper into the forest. As soon as I lost track of one brother, I picked up on the scent of the other.
After about an hour of tracking them, I gave up and decided to go home. I was tired from a full day of work and didn’t have the same energy I’d once had as a kid. They’d eventually figure out that they were on their own and they would come home, too.
Just as I turned to run back toward the house, I froze. In the distance, I spotted a white wolf. My wolf whimpered, and my heart careened into a gallop.
The white wolf didn’t approach me, just watched from a distance. He seemed familiar to me but I couldn’t understand why. Was it the fact that he was the same color as me? Or was there something more there? Some type of history?
I couldn’t will my legs to move. It wasn’t until I heard the sound of my brothers nearby that I finally lifted my paws. Turning to see them approach, I wondered if they’d seen the white wolf. When I twisted back around, he was gone. Had I imagined the whole thing?
Later that night, before I drove home, I pulled my brothers aside. “Did you see anyone else in the woods while we were out there?”
They both shook their heads.
I found it odd that they hadn’t sensed the other wolf. And, even more concerning, why had he felt so familiar to me? Was it all in my head? Maybe I was more exhausted than I thought.
When I arrived home, I made a beeline to the bathroom, washing my face with hot water and brushing my teeth once I got there. I slipped my bra off and picked my comfiest pair of cotton pajamas to put on. After pulling my hair into a messy bun, I finally felt at ease.
Just as I climbed into bed and turned on the TV, a knock on the front door took me by complete surprise. I hurried to it and looked through the peephole to see Ty standing on my front porch.
Fuck! I didn’t want him to see me like this, but there was no time to change.
Smiling, I opened the door. “What are you doing here?” I crossed my arms over my chest, hoping he didn’t notice my tits enjoying their freedom beneath my T-shirt.
He laughed, the sound warm and rich. “It’s nice to see you, too, Liza.”
I blew out a sigh and shook my head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” I glanced at my watch and realized it was only nine.
He held out a bag, and I caught a whiff of something sweet. “How do cherry turnovers sound?”
I couldn’t help but giggle. He’d remembered our conversation from dinner when I’d shared my love for pastries. I was a great chef, but I wasn’t the best baker. It’s why I’d started to buy bread at the bakery.
“Yum! Want to come in?” I stepped aside and tried not to be too obvious about breathing him in as he walked past and made his way to the kitchen.
Holy hell. Could Ty be any hotter? He wore a sweatshirt with a college logo on the front, jeans that tapered at his waist and made his legs look long and lean, and a baseball cap that had his hair curling around the lower band in the back. He looked amazing.
Would it be inappropriate for me to grab his tight ass? It probably would. Keeping my hands to myself, I went to his side at the kitchen counter.
“How about I put on some tea?” I grabbed the kettle before he answered and filled it with water.
“Perfect.” Ty opened the cabinet where I kept my plates, grabbing two. “Should I warm these up first?”
“Nah, I’m ready to tear into them now.” Cherry turnovers were my weakness.
Ty chuckled and put the plates on the kitchen table. “How was your day with your brothers? They’ve always been competitive. I can only imagine them vying for attention around the family dinner table.”
“We had a great visit and even went for a run after dinner.”
I contemplated telling Ty about the other wolf I’d spotted in the forest. He might’ve decided I was crazy, but since he was the future alpha, he needed to know what was happening in his territory.
After pouring the tea, I sat down across from him. “Something happened in the woods.”
Something in my tone had him sitting up straight. “What happened?”
“While I was in the woods, I spotted a white wolf, and it wasn’t my reflection.
” Although I had tried more than once to convince myself that it could’ve been.
I was the only arctic wolf in all the land.
All this land, anyway, so seeing someone with the same fair coloring as myself in a place where everyone was dark and always had been had startled me.
In all the years I’d been here, I’d never seen another arctic wolf.
Ty didn’t question it. He clasped his hands together and leaned forward. “Did he approach you?”
I shook my head. He hadn’t made a move toward me, only looked. “No, but he felt familiar to me.”
Suddenly, I remembered the strange man I’d met at the farmers’ market. “Actually, a guy approached me at the farmers’ market the other day. He was blond and had light features like me. I’d never seen him before, but he seemed to be quite interested in me.”
Ty didn’t react to the new information, but I could sense the tension radiating off him. His knuckles had turned white, and fury blazed from his eyes.
I continued. “I don’t want to assume that all blond shifters turn into white wolves”—they did—“but it just seems a little too coincidental to me.”
Ty nodded in agreement. “I’ll look into it, but if you’re ever out somewhere and feeling unsafe, I want you to call me.
Immediately. Whether it’s a phone call or a howl, I’ll always hear you.
” He took my hand and placed it over his heart.
“We’re connected, and the closer we become, the stronger our bond will be.
Even when we’re far apart, I’ll still be able to feel you. ”
Not that I needed more incentive to want to be with him. My heart beat wildly as Ty stared deeply into my eyes. The moment was so intense that I didn’t even blink when he leaned in to kiss me.
My eyelids fluttered closed as his lips gently brushed against mine. Passion flared inside of me, and Ty reacted with urgency and need.
Before I realized what was happening, Ty was pulling me to my feet, his tongue searching for mine. His breath came in sharp burst as he led me to the living room and lowered me to the couch.
He pinned me there with his body as his hands slid from my waist over my ribcage, stopping just short of my breasts.
I’d never been kissed like that, and I never wanted it to end—never wanted to stop touching and being touched.
I slid my fingertips down Ty’s back and grabbed his ass, then wrapped my legs around his waist.
I moaned into his mouth and ground my hips against his, which seemed to shake Ty out of his stupor.
He rolled away, jumped to his feet, and backed into the wall on the opposite side of the living room.
I lay on the sofa, panting, wondering what happened as he struggled to catch his breath and stared at me with a longing I’d never seen from anyone.
“Liza. I’m so sorry.” When he spoke, I saw that his fangs were extended. His voice was gruff. “Your scent is driving me wild.”
I couldn’t think straight enough to make sense of what he was asking. I focused on his words, then shook my head.
It was the fucking pheromones.
I had taken my pills that morning, I was certain of it. Ty shouldn’t have been able to pick up on my unique scent so strongly.
“No, Ty. I’m the one who should apologize.” I pushed myself into the upright position and pulled my shirt back down over my stomach. “This shouldn’t have happened.”
Maybe I needed a higher dose of medication now that I’d found my fated mate.
Ty stared at me strangely. “Do you know anything about your birth family’s history?” It wasn’t like it was a secret that I was adopted, but I didn’t often talk to others about it.
I didn’t really know why that mattered or why he was asking, but I didn’t know anything, anyway. No one had ever told me, and I hadn’t ever been brave enough to ask.
“No. I don’t know anything. I’ve always been curious, but I have no information on my past.” Which was my own fault. My parents probably would have told me if I’d ever asked.
Ty shook his head. “I’m sorry I was too rough with you.”
I bit my lip and wondered if now would be a good time to tell him I was a virgin. From the way I’d reacted to his body, I doubted he had a clue that was the case.
Tonight had already been much more intense than either of us had expected, so I decided to keep that tidbit to myself for the time being. I’d tell him eventually, but there was no rush.
He ran his hand over his face and turned away, then looked at me again. “I better head home and let you get to bed.”
I walked Ty to the door. He turned and gave me an almost chaste but soft kiss on the lips. “Have a good night, Liza.”
My lips tingled as I watched his car pull out of my driveway. I climbed into bed with a smile on my face. Ty thought he’d been too rough, but it was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life.
Before I allowed myself to fall asleep, I went online and requested an appointment with our family doctor. If the pills weren’t working anymore, that would explain all the trouble with my scent and Ty’s strong reaction. I couldn’t fix it without help.